Climate Change
by Quinn Mallory
Summary: Centuries after the freezing of Arendelle, the leaders of the world's nations must gather to resolve the great global issue of their time.


300 Years After Great Freezing of Arendelle

Wesselton

It had been decades since Arendelle's ruler had refused Royal Assent to an act of the Moot, and nearly every other country in the world had become (some much less peacefully than Arendelle) some form of democracy or constitutional monarchy in the centuries since the Great Freezing. But you wouldn't know it, Sofia thought, looking over the trumpeters, guards, and various other people she didn't know the function of who seemed to be accompanying each and every delegation, and were creating a massive blockage in the road leading to the conference center. Her carriage (drawn by horses, per some long-obsolete tradition) gained a meter or two, then lurched to a stop again.

The First Minister, Williams, who these days had far more power than Sofia's father, didn't seem nearly as perturbed at the traffic jam. His sharp, focused gaze seemed to soften with relief at the delay.

"Well, this was poorly organized," Sofia grumbled, looking over the side. "I've half a mind to get out and walk."

Williams smiled grimly. "As you might have guessed, I do not find the delay very troublesome. I'm going to be put through the wringer as soon as we get in there. Not only are we likely to continue to be held responsible for this problem in the first place, we are not succeeding in meeting our emissions quotas."

"Well, what in the world do they expect us to do? It's not our fault Arendelle is in the north and has been for the last billion years."

Williams frowned. "Increasing use of the new type of automobiles was a good idea, but I lack the votes in Moot to provide larger subsidies."

The carriage lurched forward again. Sofia looked out, where the sun was beating down. The air was sweet and cool, and it was hard to believe on a day like this that the climate was headed for catastrophe.

"Could you do something about the constitutional need for me to be here? Soon, perhaps? I don't think you'll have any trouble getting it by my father!"

"I've been considering action in that area," Williams intoned, "and - "

"Oh, stop talking like a politician around me," Sofia answered. "I've listened to so much language like that, that you're freezing a snowman."

Williams was about to respond when the carriage lurched to a stop, finally at their destination - the Second World Climate Summit.

"The timing of our meeting is a response to several concerns," the scientist speaking began (after thanking various people for being here and listening to him, which Sofia tuned out, having heard this kind of speech at every official function she'd ever been to). "The first is the worldwide reaction to the climatic events which have so disrupted human society over the past decade. The second arises from a growing apprehension that not only is humanity vulnerable to variations in climate, but climate is vulnerable to the acts of humanity. The third is a perception of a broader climatic vulnerability stemming from world population growth, increased world demand for food, energy and other resources."

Williams frowned and scribbled something on his notepad. Sofia looked past him, scanning the hundreds of people in the massive conference room. Attention was neither rapt nor absent. One of the men in the Southern Isles delegation winked at her lavisciously. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the front - some peoples never seemed to change.

"In recent years we have come to appreciate that the activities of humanity can and do affect climate. The continued abuse of ice powers - " He paused, and Sofia saw several dirty looks directed at her and Williams. "The continued abuse of ice powers, combined with the steady reforestation of the last fifty years, have made the potential consequences of dropping carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere a major concern. We have seen destructive glacial expansion in the northern nations, a lack of rain along the equator due to failed tropical storms, and receding coastlines interfering with shipping."

Sofia felt a deep shame. She should have done more. She had failed to get a plan to close the western rail lines and replace them with motorways past objections from the Moot's backbenchers, they still hadn't replaced the palace's solar collectors with gas turbines, and her entire country was still rejecting the proposed drilling expansions and divestment from renewable energy as too expensive.

"It is essential that carbon emissions be increased to avoid doing irreparable harm to our planet," another speaker began as soon as the first had finished a long report on the climate problems. "We are currently in a feedback cycle, in which glacial expansion increases the albedo of the planet, causing further glaciation and temperature drops. The restrictions on ice magic, while effective, have not been enough to stem the problem. We must expand drilling..."


End file.
